Valued ISI Customers,

Occasionally, calling attention to an industry issue with the very real potential to damage your business is a more important use of this space than updating you on another ISI piece of information.  Today is such an occasion.  Please carefully read the following content from AOCA Government Affairs regarding current efforts surrounding the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act (MMWA) regulations and consider asking your customers (and you as well) to add your needed voice by going to the link below and taking the 5-minute survey.  This truly is a situation where the voice of your customer and you is critical and will make a difference.

The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act prohibits warrantors, like automakers, from conditioning warranty coverage on the use of branded products unless they first prove to the Federal Trade Commission that ONLY those products will work or they give those products to customers for free. It’s called the prohibition against “tie-in sales,” and no automaker has yet received a waiver to get around it. They must prove an aftermarket part or service caused damage before attempting to deny warranty coverage over either one. The burden is on them, not you.

“Over a period of twelve years, AOCA filed many complaints against MMWA-violating automakers with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) because operators were losing up to 70% of their customer base associated with makes like Honda, Kia, Mazda and BMW due to unsubstantiated and often slanderous claims that aftermarket parts and service would void warranty coverage. Although FTC took action against BMW in 2015, it failed to require automakers and dealers to provide affirmative notice to consumers regarding their MMWA rights.  AOCA launched a new state legislative campaign to make new car dealer disclosure of MMWA rights to consumers mandatory. Connecticut passed the law in July 2015. New state campaigns are under way now.”

Let’s not let the dealership world define the issue on their terms. Please, you can help by asking your customers (and yourself) to take this 5-minute survey.

General Questions? Contact us at: isi@ints.com

Article source: http://www.aoca.org/?page=GovernmentAffairs#promoting